Monday, March 21, 2011

Spring Giveaway!

Good morning, everyone--it's SPRING! Yes, spring officially began at 7:21 PM last evening. Finally--I don't ever remember a winter as long and cold as the one we just experienced, do you? So, in honor of the arrival of spring, my 100th post, and the special day that is today, March 21st (I'll tell you about that later), I have created three little pieces for three lucky people. Will one of them be you?

First up is an old Prairie Schooler freebie called "S" Is For Spring. This is probably the third or fourth time I've stitched this one--I like it that much. The chart is not available on the PS website any longer, but I was able to track it down for you via "The Wayback Machine"--oh, I love that name! Click here and be patient...it takes a while to work. I've found a number of older Prairie Schooler freebies that I didn't own via that site. It takes some patience, but there are a lot of goodies to be discovered. This is stitched on 32 ct. white jobelan and accented with a yellow/gold cord and ribbon.Another oldie, but goodie freebie is this one from The Drawn Thread. Yes, the power of "The Wayback Machine" helped me track this one down, too. You can get it for yourself right here. Just wait a bit and then click on "Free" and you'll see where to click for "The Spring Keeper." The designer meant it to be a scissor keep, but I stitched it as a little spring ornament. Again, I used 32 ct. white jobelan with DMC and WDW threads. I love the little specialty stitches that are on the basket. And a new first for me--I made my own cording in the most luscious shade of soft purple! I finally used the Kreinik Custom Corder that I had been given for Christmas back in 2009 and I was so pleased with how the cording turned out.Since I had so many wonderful comments about the little Just Nan "Spring!" ornament in my last post, I decided to make another little pillow to offer as my third giveaway. This is stitched on 28 ct. gray Monaco using DMC threads and backed with the leafy green fabric shown underneath it. I topped the white cording with a pale pink ribbon and pin (they're actually much lighter than my photograph is making them look). I'm sure the little brown bunny will find a welcoming home somewhere in the world.

So, now it's up to you to decide which one you would like to try to win. You may enter all three contests and the giveaway is open to my followers, old and new alike. Just leave a comment on this post telling me which ornament(s) you would like to win. And to make it more fun, please tell me your most memorable vacation spot or share with me a favorite memory from one of your vacations or holidays. For me, the image that sticks in my mind is the Cape Cod trip my husband and I took in the fall of 1981 before we had children. I still have a photo of me lounging on the beach in my pale pink bathing suit with my hair blowing in the wind. But, it is the look of complete contentment and joy on my face that makes this photo so special. You see, I was pregnant with my first child--my oldest son who was born 29 years ago today: March 21, 1982.

What a special day for any mother--the birth of her first child... I'm very proud of the young man he has become and it is so heart-warming to look back on that photo of myself, the young "soon-to-be" mother, and know that so many of my hopes and dreams for my child have come true. So Happy 29th Birthday to my firstborn son--may the coming year bring you every happiness!

Thank you so much for visiting my blog and for your many kind comments. I so appreciate the time that you take in saying hello each time I post! I'll keep the giveaway open until April 2nd--good luck to all. Bye for now...

121 comments:

Good morning!How could I be first? It's early, and need to get ready for work. Just have to say that I would be very honored to win either of your beautiful ornies! If I must choose, I'll say the S for Spring. My DS was born in 1981, so he'll be 30 this year. SO hard to believe, isn't it? Our vacations when he was young were very special to me. I didn't have any memories of vacations when I was small, so was determined to give him some... As you say, the joy and light of my life.You have a wonderful first day of spring! Glad it's finally here, too!

I love them all and would love the chance to win any of them. My favourite is the Drawn Thread Spring Keeper, the purple is just delicious. I have lots of childhood memories of going on vacation and the fun and sport we had. But my all time favourite memory must be when my husband and I went on holiday with our first son. I was expecting our second and it was his first holiday. We holidayed in a traditional thatch cottage here in Ireland with one of those traditional stable half doors. The cottage was white washed with the most terrific red front door. We were beside the sea in a small fishing village and we got to see the trawlers come in each day with fresh fish. The fish and chips were delicious and so fresh. It was just a wonderful holiday and one of many we have had as a family. It was our first family holiday and so memorable.

Happy birthday to your first child! Seems there are a lot of birthdays around the first day of spring. :D Thank you for the giveaway! I'd love to enter to win all three -- how could one decide after all? My favorite vacation spot is always Maine. We love to go there in the summer and enjoy just hanging out there. Love the ocean -- not for the beach or for swimming (at least not me), but just to be close to.

Three lovely prizes can I register for all? I love the DT piece. I have stitched so many of her patterns it borders on crazy. Favorite vacation would have to be trips with family to St. George Island Flordia. Fresh oysters from appalachiacola bay everyday and slow relaxing days.

How wonderful - I love the way you remember your vacation and I recognize that feeling of bliss ... we went camping when we were pregnant with Nick. We hadn't told anyone, but I was stitching a birth sampler for him anyway and whenever anyone asked what I was working on, I was all coy and vague with my answers. It was our first vacation together: Niek, Max and myself. And it was my first time camping in Holland. :)

Happy Birthday to your first born and thank you for the chance to win a piece of your exquisite stitchery. My favorite is the Spring Keeper, since purple is my favorite color. Fondest vacation memories are from our raft trip down the Colorado River with our daughter.

Carol your posts are among my favourites! What beautiful stitching you are offering in your give away . I do love the P.S. piece but all three are lovely. We have made some wonderful trips with our two children . In 2008 we drove to San Francisco and L. A. and there were many moments of laughter on that car trip . We are just back from Tuscon for march break and my parents came with us for the first time. It was great for them to experience Arizona as they had never been and enjoy the children too. all the best to your son on his special day !

What lovely stitching AND finishing! The Drawn Thread one attracts me the most--love that daffodil! And purple! My most memorable vacation memory is my son and I enjoying time with a new-found cousin at her cabin in Pinecrest, CA. It was a beautiful setting in the mountains. Thanks for the giveaway. Happy Birthday to your son. Hugs.

Who wouldn't want to win any one of these beautiful pillows. I love them all!I'm from the North East of England and my most memorable holidays were spent on the beautiful beaches of Northumberland.These days I live minutes from a beautiful beach in Spain so I feel like I'm on a permanent vacation!Congrats. on your 100th post and happy spring to you.

Carol these are just beautiful! I would like to win any one of them in your giveaway.

Happy Birthday to you son!

I actually have two most memorable trips - the first is when my husband and I visited the Eastern Shore for a weekend the day we were married, and the second is a trip that we took with our daughters to Wilmington, North Carolina. Both are so memorable for different reasons.

Good morning Carol!! What cute little blessings you have to share with us!!! I would love to receive ANY of the three..Not particular at all to please...And, my favorite vacation was out first trip to Disney World back in 1989 when our oldest son was 5 (see I have children who are your childrens age....!) He could not get over the life size characters and even though he is turning 27 next week, I still can see the wonder in his happy big eyes while he watched Micky and Minnie coming up to play with him!!!

Thanks at this wonderful chance to have a piece of spring to share with others...I just LOVE these hard to find items....Take care, Faye

Oh, how fun! I love them all. :-) I think one of my most memorable vacations was going to Disney as a 6 year old. I remember "It's a Small World", and the Haunted House that I was terrified to go through and then I found out it wasn't scary at all! And I remember getting some sort of horrible skin rash from the sun, so I looked like I had the measles all week. :-)

Thanks for the chance at your wonderful giveaway! I'm printing off the Spring freebie now. :-)

Oh Carol, your finishes are beautiful! I would be honored to have any of them come to my home!

Happy Birthday to your son!

I feel very lucky to have so many wonderful vacation memories. One of our favorite spots are some cabins that we stay at in TN. Pure relaxed, unplugged, family time - with wonderful views and hiking trails.

What a sweet giveaway. I would love to receive any of these adorable ornaments… My most memorable vacation spot is Paris where I took a trip, my daughter and I, back in 2004. She was 11 and I will never forget the fun we had… We walked so much that that our feet started to hurt! Every morning we had a traditional French breakfast that my DD asked for after we got home and she was very disappointed that the taste was not the same…lol

I've been following your blog for over a year and this is my first time commenting. All of your stitching is so lovely and your finishing is just perfect! I absolutely love the way you stitched and finished the Drawn Thread's Spring Keep. I was wondering if you would share which WDW colors you used so I could stitch it as well. Happy Birthday to your son! I look forward to seeing more of your beautiful finishes in the future.

Hi,WOW they are all so beautiful. I believe the Just Nan Bunny is my favorite, but would enjoy winning any of them. My favorite vacation was a family trip to the big island of Hawaii.Teresa's Heartfelt Stitches

My favorite vacation memory is a visit to a huge tulip farm in Holland - oh my I can still see all the different colored tulips in my mind's eye. And, there were fields of tulips as far as we could see. That was 30 years ago and it will always be a very happy memory.

Wow ~ this is the first time I have commented on a blog so I hope I am doing it right. Your stitched pieces are beautiful! I would love to win any of them. My favorite one is the Prairie School S is for Spring. My favorite vacation is hard to pick. I love to be with my family and every vacation we take is an adventure. We are all meeting in Chicago this weekend and I can't wait to hold all of my kids! Happy Mom : ) Thank you for the chance to win one of your stitcheries! Kendra

Please enter me in your very generous drawing hun; I don't care which one...I love them all. :) and would proudly display one of them in our home. Lets see; I'd say my favorite holiday memory so far would be when we went "home" (Ohio) for Christmas about 8 years ago; Everyone was there and it was so much fun; my dad was wanting a chain saw; so we bought him one and he was like a kid; he went right out and starting cutting wood; mom said no tree was safe now. LOL That was the last Christmas I spent with my dad as we lost him to a massive heart attack 6 years ago.

Wow Carol, I was just reading this post drooling over the ornaments you have made and thinking how beautiful they are and then suddenly I read the words "giveaway" and I nearly fell off my chair with delight, I actually did not read the title of the post! Oooo yes please include my name in the draw, April 2nd is my birthday so that would be one lovely birthday gift to win one of these beauties!My favourite holiday was in 2009 when we visited Boca Grande beaches in Florida, they were just so beautiful, we also went to see Greenday in concert, an absolutely fab rock band and I loved it!

My favourite ornie is the Spring Prairie Schooler but I would love any one of these beauties!I am going to put a link to your blog, I am a follower now, (I was convinced I already was) must be having a senior moment!

Hi Carol,Well you've certainly outdone yourself once again!! Those are all lovely ornaments, but here's the order in which I would love a chance to win:1st choice~ Pr.Sch.~S is for spring2. Just Nan~ Spring3. Drawn Thread ~ Spring Keeper

One of my favorite memories I have on vacation is when my boys were about 9 and 7~ we were camping at Myrtle Beach. I had taught them both how to cross stitch and I took a picture of them sitting outside in a lawn chair underneath the awning of our camper looking very serious while they were stitching away! LOL

Happy Spring and happy birthday to your son. Your little pillows are adorable. I would love a chance at the Just Nan one.

My favorite vacation was our honeymoon. We went to Ireland on a group tour and had a fabulous time. When other members of our group found out we were on our honeymoon they arranged for us to have a private table one night at dinner with champagne and a special dessert. Then a small group of musicians came in and sang some special Irish ballads just for us. We will never forget that trip or the people who shared it with us.

Oh Carol, You are so generous with your beautiful ornaments. It's hard to pick a favorite but Just Nan's Spring has all of my favorite colors!Thank you too, for the link to the "oldies." You are so right that they are sometimes hard to find.

Happy Birthday to Dan. I know how very proud you are of all of your boys. I wish him all the best for the coming year and beyond.

Our best vacation memories are from the summers we spent as a family on the Outer Banks in NC. We treasure all of the happiness we shared there watching the 4 children grow. I'm hoping to get back there this year with everyone.

Carol --How generous of you to make 3 beautiful gifts to giveaway! It's so hard to pick a favorite but I love that little bunny in Just Nan's ornmaent. Too cute:)))

My favorite vacation was many years ago when we took both of our daughters to Washington DC. We stayed just a few blocks from the White House and we did a lot of walking and seeing all there was to see. So much history there and our girls were just the right age to take it all in. Great memories.

I doubt lightening will strike me twice but I am entering your giveaway anyway - what I wouldn't give to own an example of your finishing! It wouldn't matter which one - they are all beautiful.

My favorite vacation was one my husband and I took to England in 1998 - kind of a delayed honeymoon. While we were there we visited a town called Shrewsbury, near the border of Wales, because it was the setting for my favorite mysteries, the Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters. We stayed right next to a non-smoking pub and were kind of adopted by the "regulars" - everyone was so eager to make sure we had a good time. We got a personal tour of the entire town from one of our new friends (we still correspond). It was just a magical experience. Thanks for helping me to relive it.

All three are lovely, but my favorite is the Just Nan Spring - oh, wait, maybe it's the Prairie Schooler! Better count me in for both, lol! Thanks for having the drawing, and a beautiful spring to you!

My favorite vacation spot is the island of Crete. It's a wonderful mix of old world charm, modern conveniences, and enjoyable beaches. We've been twice, and I can't wait to go back again when my girls are older.

I read your post this am & you only had one or two comments. Wow, now there are 43.....I haven't had that many comments with about 20 combined posts!All of your giveaway gifts are adorable.....I think I love the little bunny the most.The vacation that I remember the most is when the kids were small....the youngest was probably 3, so the others would have been 9 & 7. I had made & sold my homemade Christmas Candies. I saved all of the profits & we took a mini vacation. We stopped at a State Resevouir(sp) on the way to Indy. After that, we headed to Indy. We had a motel room & there was a pool at this motel. The kids loved it. Then, the next day, we went to the Children's Museum. As you see, other than the motel, our vacation was free...we had a state park pass & the museum was free. To this day, I am the frugal person I was back then!Happy Birthday to your son.....my oldest turned 30 last weekend!!!!

Though it's spring it snowed a bit this morning here! 0_o But it won't stitck. :)

I'm not sure that I can pick one holiday memory; growing up my everyday was bad and holidays worse. Now that my life is better, not only are holidays nice but everyday is, too, which seems even better. I'm so blessed to enjoy fun times and loved ones and friends everyday and on holidays, too. It's still a marvel to me that we can have good times for no more special reason than that "It's Today".

My best vacation memories are the one where we going to the Ardeche in France. It was difficult to stay between only French people because you have to speak French all the day but the nature there was so gorgeous. The children enjoyed playing in the lake building dike from stones and swimming to the caves.

What a darling giveaway!I would love to have the bunny ornament!My favorite vacation memory of course was when we went back to Brazil almost 3 years ago.That was when my family met Brenda for the first time.My sister rented a little beach house and it was just great! The smell of the ocean in the air, the warm sand, the humble fisherman going to sea, and mostly spending time with my Mom and siblings made that trip very special.And March birthdays are very special. Happy birthday to your boy!

You do hold such wonderful giveaways Carol. Your little Just Nan Bunny would be very welcome in my home, please enter my name for that drawing. My favourite holiday spot has got to be South Africa. We spent a month out there with relatives and me and my sister got to play with baby lion cubs - that's a favourite holiday memory of mine. Happy Birthday to your eldest son, I hope he's had a lovely day. Happy stitching to you friend and best wishes.

Your pieces are just lovely and really will be treasured by anyone who receives them. As I am sitting typing this with one of your lovely embroideries beside me I will pass.Happy 29th to your son ( mine is now 42... and that makes me feel old!)Holiday memories... being able to enjoy walking together in the southern forrests recently,

I would be honored to to win any of the three. They are beautifully finished. My favorite vacation was a cruise to Alaska. It's on the most beautiful places I have ever seen. If you ever get a chance to go I wouldn't miss it.

Hi Carol.Any of the three, especially with her cute Nan Spring rabbit.Happy birthday to your son and parents happy memories.I remember a trip to Austria satisfacion traveling from one end to the country, its landscapes, its cities, its buildings. Coinciding by chance with the Holy Father's visit happened in his pope-mobile in front of the tram stopped at that time.Spring came he craved ... than good.Thanks.

Wow! All three of those ornaments are beautiful, I could not pick betweeen them. Today is my Grandson's 12th birthday, so it is a special day for me as well.

My favorite vacation spot is Banff and Lake Louise in Canada. When I met my husband, I had seen almost all of the states in the US, and he asked me where the most beautiful spot was, and I said Banff. I love the beauty of our US, but there is something about Lake Louise that is enchanting. It wasn't until 2005 that I got to see my husband see it for the first time. He, too, thinks it is beautiful. As we traveled the US as our kids were growing up, I once again fell in love with many more spots. So many, I don't think I could pick a favorite.

What a delightful and generous offer. But to choose my favorite? - that's like opening up a big box of chocolates - they're each fabulous, and I'd be thrilled to win any of them. My daughter turned 40 last year, and WOW! - that was a very special day for me. For my favorite vacation, it was the beauty and serenity of Cades Cove in the Smokey Mountains.

Wow, what a wonderful giveaway in honor of Spring and Happy Birthday to your oldest DS! I'd love to enter for all of them but my favorite is the PS S is for Spring. Every time I see this design, it always makes me smile.

My most memorable vacation spot is San Juan Del Sur in Nicaragua. I went most summers as a kid because it was the family trip but the highlight was going to San Juan. It was the beach, the water was warm, there was an abundance of shells to collect and crabs to watch and it was always a relaxing refuge...even into my teen years. I'd go now but you know...family.

I owe you an email. My home computer is still down! I need to go buy a new one. *hugs*

Oh Carol!!! Please enter me in all three draws...I cannot pick a favorite.I love spring and though it's "offically" arrived. The weather has other thoughts. We are having snow all week.My favorite vacation would be the one that we went to Hungary in 1998. Me, my brother and both my parents went to the "homeland" Mom and Dad are both from there. It was on that trip that I met my husband...and it was also the last vacation before that we all got to go together as adults, before my dad became ill. So the time that we spent there visiting all the places that they grew up and how they lived was the most special. :)

My most memorable vacation would be our Alaskan Cruise.Alaska is breathtaking. The cruise was the best so relaxing,great entertainment and the food!!!I could go on and on!I love your giveaways.They are so sweet.I would just love to win one!Debbie

Oh WOW, I love them all. Pls put me down for a chance to win any one of them, they are all gorgeous.Holidays are few and far between for me at the moment, I guess my most memorable would have to be one we went on in 2007, it was my son's first holiday and we visited reptile parks and bird places with eagles, he just loved it, it was a very animal featured holiday and he got to ride a pony for the first time. It was a location about 4 hours drive south of where we live called Margaret River and its beautiful.ThanksLISA V

Gorgeous - and beautiful finishing as well - no way to pick just one - I'd be very happy to win any of them. I'm the youngest of six children and my Dad was a physician - so family vacations were rare and I don't believe that we ever took one while I was growing up!My personal favorite vacation was a trip to Ireland that my husband gave to me as a surprise for my 60th birthday - SO beautiful and welcoming - just like in the books.

We never had one particular spot we went to on vacation, my parents believed that we should see as much of the "Motherland" as possible while they were young enough to travel! I have tons of wonderful memories of seeing old temples and ruins and buildings. I think I'll thank my parents tomorrow for all the horizon-widening!

What a great giveaway! They are all adorable but I'm a huge fan of the rabbits and bunnies so I'd love to win the Just Nan one.

I have a ton of great vacation memories, but I have to say my two tops are very different from each other. About 10 years ago my parents and I took a 2 week trip to Israel and Egypt. The entire trip was just wonderful. Then my other favorite is going to the Bahamas, but not where the cruise ships go in. I've been to both Eluthra and Inagua (small, family islands) on church trips to put on VBS for the kids there. I love the islands, people and the food we always share with everyone there.

Hi Carol,I would love to enter your giveaway. All your finishes are so beautiful, and if I would have to pick a favourite it would be the cute little spring bunny rabbit. I would love him to hop on over to my house in Australia. :-) Just in time for Easter too.

I enjoyed reading about your holiday story, being pregnant for the first time. As you know I just had my first child 8 weeks ago, Tabitha who has brought so much joy to our little family.My best holiday memory is when my husband Adrian and I went to Europe for the first time last year on our honeymoon. We traveled to Paris, Venice, Prague, Austria and Poland. Travelling all the way from Australia was a long plane trip but seeing the beauty in the other side of the world was well worth it. Since we had just gotten married a month before we left we were very excited about spending our time together as husband and wife but we also didn't know until we got back home that another little person was there enjoying our European holiday with us. I fell pregnant with Tabitha when we were over there. That's what made our special holiday even more so. :-) I will hold these special memories forever.

Hi Carol, Thanks so much for sharing your holiday story, lovely! Your three spring finishes are gorgeous, and even though we are heading towards autumn not spring in this part of the world, I would love the chance to win the beautiful bunny piece. He is lovely, and thank you for your generous giveaways.Nicky, NZ

I am loving the Drawn Thread one the most, so i will try my luck for that. Thanks for this giveaway, your stitching is beautiful! I loved the CEC Birdie (Egg Cetera) one too that you sent to NZ (in one of your previous posts)

Good luck to all!

My favourite trip, the one i hold the closest to my heart is to Disneyland in Paris. I had been here in 2006 April with my husband, and we had FUN in Disneyland. We enjoyed all of Disneyland and were SO tired by the end of it, we loved being tired too, LOL.

My only son is also March-born:) My son and I share the same birthday!!

Hi Carol! What a wonderful giveaway. They are all beautiful. I would love the chance to win the Prairie Scooler ornament. One of my favorite vacation memories is of a trip my husband and I took to Nova Scotia. We had no plans or reservations. Just winged it and had a wonderful time.I hope you have a great week.Chris

Hi! I'm from Portugal and I love your blog and all your work. I never win anything, maybe this could be the first time . Ilike all your three pillows, they are wonderful. I will fell very lucky If i win any of them.I have one daughter with 17 and she wants to be an architect. She's the best thing that happened to me. She´s my best friend and my companion.I don't travel a lot, but on 2009 I went to Disney in Paris and it was 3 great days of fun and I felt a child again. I travelled by car and it took 2 days to get there.I wish you a nice day and lot of good stitches. KissesAlda

I think my best vacation memories are from the early days we spent at the family camp in Maine, when it was all so new for me. The call of the Loons and the quiet lapping of the lake waves on the little beach were so lovely. The kids would spend hours in the water. Then we would play games or color or read. No TV, no computer, no cell phones. Grandma would make a big dinner and we sat around listening to stories about the past. And the down east accents always cracked me up!

Carol, I would love to be entered in your giveaway. They are all beautiful I can't decide which I like better. I would be honored to win any of them.Our favorite vacation spot is Maroma Beach in Mexico. Love it there!!! Have met a lot of wonderful people there...

What beautiful pieces you've done. The Wayback Machine is really cool. :) Do we have to pick just one? I'd like to be included in your drawing but can't decide which one!

Your DS was born on the same day as my sister. Spring babies. :) She turned the big 4-0 this year.

Memorable vacation... My cruise to the Caribbean and Mexico... it was the first time I'd ever left the country. Even though I got a blistering sunburn and sprained my ankle, I still loved seeing the areas.

Carol,Beautiful giveaway but really loved the contentment conveyed in your post. I hope he has a wonderful birthday. My favorite vacationspot was when my children were 11 and 8 (?) and we went to Myrtle Beach. The first big family vacation which was lovely. Stopping in DC wile traveling through thatarea in the springtime, pics of them with the cherry trees, swimming in the ocean,...all precious memories.

Love all three of your giveaways but the Prairie schooler is my fav. followed closely by Just Nan's Spring. Thanks for the chance.

Hi Carol,I would love to enter the draw for any one of these, they are all so beautiful.It is funny you should ask about memorable holidays as I have just posted some pictures of my holiday to Thailand on my blog. One of the most memorable occasions was going to see a cabaret where all the show "girls" were lady men. Afterwards they posed for photographs with the audience and when I show people the photos they automatically think they are girls till I tell them otherwise, LOL.kind regards,Shirley

I would love a chance to win any of the darling ornaments. What a treat! All three are so adorable! My favorite vacation spot is the 1000 Islands in upstate NY. I have been going there ever since I was born. We have a cottage there. However, now that I am older I love travelling to the beach with my husband and daughter. happy Birthday to your son!

WOW! What lovely finishes. I would love to be entered and although i love all the 3 my favorite is the Just Nan Spring!

Not an easy one as we've been to many places and each has good memories. Also visiting home in Asia we call it vacation as it's really a vacation sorrounded by family so i don't need to do anything, anyway the second time we took Grace home she's then about 4 years old and the first morning she was out early and wanted to eat so mother was helping her and then we heard her screaming i want "hagelslag" (chocolate sprinkles) a few times, our fault we didn't teach her english yet that time, so one of us had to hurry down and help. Also always a joy to see our kids mingle with their cousins even if they don't speak the same language.

What a nice giveaway. he pictures already brighten my day.I would like to be entered for each one of them. You made it too hard to choose. One of the best vacations was tooPiza Italy. We still show the pictures of the kids trying to hold up the leaning tower of Piza. And it is still leaning to this day...now I am hungry to spaghetti!!shop4baskets@aol.com

Oh my goodness, these are just beautiful and impeccably finished!!! You are such a sweetheart to offer them up to us. They are all so pretty I couldn't possibly pick just on out of the three!(And how awesome are you for tracking down those long-lost pattern links????)

My favorite vacation memory........I think it would be the memories I have of going up to New Hampshire for a couple of weeks every summer when I was 7-11ish? We would camp out and hit all the touristy stuff but it was such fun for us kids and it was the last time we did anything big together as a family before everything fell (horrifically and tragically) apart. So it's definitely a bittersweet memory but it stands out as proof that we were happy and (mostly) whole at some point in time. Well, now I'm just getting maudlin about it so I'll quit while I'm ahead. lol

What a lovely giveaway. I have also posted your giveaway on my blog. If I had to choose one, it would be Just Nan "Spring", but I love them all. Thank you also for giving the link to the older freebies from "The Prairie Schooler".

As to a memorable holiday, it would have to be Norway, when I was chosen to try on a Wedding Costume with a large silver crown and embroidered skirt. I had long hair at that time and I was only 20 so looked the part. That was over 30 years ago.

Hello Carol!I would be very honored to win either of your beautiful ornies but,If I must choose, I'll say the "Prairie Schooler".. I love it!The most memorable holiday for me it's the first time we took our daughter to Eurodisney... she was 4 years old and she was the image of JOY that day, and I'll never forget a special moment: in the back home trip she fall asleep with a smile on her face... so adorable and so heartbreaking for a mother... :-)))...lucky me: I took a picture of that moment, and you can see it on this post:http://romyeale.blogspot.com/2009/03/eccomi-gia-di-ritorno-sigh-fino-poche.html(the last picture)

All of those finishes are so very beautiful! I love them all. I would love to be considered for any of those beautiful ornaments. I hope your son's birthday was a good one, makes you wonder where the time goes doesn't it? Thanks for sharing your wonderful memory about Cape Cod. I have not really traveled since being married but when I was 16 I did go to Tennessee with my parents and sister. We drove past the smoky mountains and for me that was amazing, I had never seen anything like that before. It was a good time all around, the people were so friendly and the scenery was amazing, I would love to go back there someday.

I feel like you! I don't remember a winter so rough as this last one =/ And I've never been happier with Spring arriving!! :D

Beautiful finishes!! All so lovely =)Happy birthday to your son!! :DAnd we are the ones receiving gifts :) hehheh Please, count me in for your giveaway, I'd love to win one of those beautiful works that you make :D

My favorite trip was to Paris, definitely one of the most gorgeous cities in the world! :)

What a great giveaway. I would of course be proud to own any of them. Maybe I will be lucky. My most memorable vacation ( I have many). I took my kids to Maui, Hawaii a about 4 years ago. It is a trip they will never forget. We took a helicopter ride, did snorkeling, went to a Luau, it was a great trip. I have been blessed to go to Hawaii 3 times in my life. Truly a beautiful place. The pieces are so pretty and look like spring. On the 23rd of March it is snow out today. How funny is that.

I would be happy with any one of those lovely ornaments, but I think my favorite is the Prairie Schooler S is for Spring. I am a new follower and have enjoyed looking at your blog. A wonderful vacation memory I have is going on a ski trip for the first time with my dh,ds and dd to Colorado. Dh and I had never been before and I think we were too old to learn. I fell so many times and just scooted along most of the time. I have never laughed so much. Once I was at the top and just didn't have the strength to make it down so I flagged down a ski patrol guy on a ski mobile and he gave me the fasted ride down that hill in the blinding snow. I stayed in the lodge after that. LOL

Your stitching is so perfect! Loved looking at your blog/website! so colorful and love all the items you have up for sale! I think the bunny is the cutest thing! I would be a proud owner of that! Vacation: Ft Myers Florida, daughter and I had walked out to the reef and stayed too long. water came in and was extremely deep heading back to the shore..something hit my daughters leg, (15 years old) and I never have seen a person walk on water until that time!Hysterical! might have been a fish....or not! LOL!thank you for the chance to win!

Carol, your ornaments are beautiful as always! I love them so much! It would be hard to chose, but I think my favorite is the Prairie Schooler one. Aren't PS designs just lovely? Thank you for the link to The Wayback Machine, I tried it and it is really amazing.

Happy birthday to your son! This weekend we also celebrate, the 13th birthday of my boyfriend's nephew.

A memorable vacation? Hard to chose. I tell you about a place instead, the Tatry mountains on the border of Slovakia and Poland. We used to go there for many many years with my parents and I liked it a lot. When I was about 4 years old, my parents took a photo of me with a young pine tree. We repeated the photo every year, but soon the pine tree was much higher than me :)

OMG! OMG! OMG! Okay, you KNOW that I love all three but I'm SO in LOVE with the JN bunny ;o) I would be honoured to have anything stitched by you Carol so put my name in for all three. I won't be picky! LOL!

Great...you have opened up a whole new world for me with this new website. It's past midnight now and I 'should' be in bed SLEEPING...

Best or most memorable vacation would have to be the first time DH and I went down to the Carolinas :o) We had only been going out for about 6 months. Our hotel was right on the beach and we ate peanut butter and jam sandwiches to save money. LOL!

I am glad spring has arrived for you, it certainly seems from your blog that you had a very harsh winter. I love the feeling of spring when the sun starts to shine, the days get lighter and the garden comes to life. I am already looking forward to it, even though it's a good many months away as we slip into autumn here in NZ.

I would love to put my name in the hat for the Spring Just Nan ornament please. I have been thinking about memorable holiday moments and decided to share a funny one with you. I went on a bus holiday with my Great Aunt about 10 years ago. I was in my 20s and she in her 70s, and we went to among other places....Amsterdam! There we sat in the smallest pub in the Netherlands and talk a walk in the red light district (and boy did we see some sights!). We also stood outside an adult shop to see who went in, and our accommodation turned out to be a hospital (patients and nurses included). What a wacky trip that was, but very memorable. :-)

What a lovely Spring giveaway Carol! Happy birthday to your son! Isn’t it lovely to see that we are moving into another season. I’d love to be entered in your givewaway. I already have that sweet PS freebie stitched as a gift and which I love to put out each year so please enter me for the other two. I would love to win either of them! Thanks for the link to that web page. It looks like it could be a real goldmine for pages that were thought to be long gone! As for holiday memories. Mine is of when my children were young and we would be staying at my MIL’s and spending time on the beach. I have such fond memories of my children playing with their cousins and all the adults enjoying the time together too. Those years are long gone, my children and my nephews and nieces are all making their own way in the world and it makes me realise what a special time it was.

I would love to get ANY of those! A holiday? My DH died in early January and we, me and the kids, needed a change: we just came back from Fanabe, Tenerife. What a great place (my first holiday in the south)!!!

Oh Carol, how could I possibly choose from among such beautiful ornaments! You've done such a wonderful job, cording and all.Please enter my name for each one. I would be thrilled to win any of them.

I was introduced to my favourite vacation spot 10 years ago when my husband and I married. He took me to the region of lakes north of Toronto known as Muskoka. We had our own private island to honeymoon on courtesy of a friend.It's an area of gorgeous scenery, beautiful, pristine lakes and the peace I need to restore my soul and body. We have returned every year since then and this summer we will celebrate our 10th anniversary there.

Thank you so much my friend for being so generous and for helping bring out those memories of such wonderful times once more.

Carol- All of your ornaments are beautiful and would love a chance to win any of them.My favorite vacation was to Cancun for my 20th wedding anniversary. The ocean was soooo blue and there were NO bugs :)

Happy Birthday to your son!I would love to be entered into your draw for any of the beautiful prizes.My favorite destination is Sarasota Fl. We have been visiting here for the past 12 years or so sometimes 2 or 3 times a year - it's heaven!

As we have a very bad time at the moment I always remebmer the Vacations when our chjildren were young. We went to several island in the Northsea and I often remebre myself to this time. Now ma children are grownup.I do like looking at your block from time to time.LoveJUdith/Germany

oeps me again ,my comment disapeart :-((((Yout 100the post is sertenly someting to celebrate, :-)))) my comment i the 101 the so i hope this will bring me good luck.

Congratulations with your sons 29 the birthday, give him a big hug. My son wil become 39 next month already :-)) Time flies .

We are not going often on vacation, and the picture i remember always, is from a vacation on the Belgian coats, the Northsea. Its me and my son and a kite. He looks a bit sad as we could not keep the kite in the air.Carol , al tree ornaments are lovely as always a perfect finish, but as i often stich PS and DT design it would be nice if i could win the little hare from JNHope you have a long weekend ahead,Bey bey for now, Nicole ( Belgium)

How wonderful! I would love to win any one of the charts. My favorite is the spring keeper. I have had many happy vacation. I think my favorite is swimming and playing in the sand dunes along Lake Michigan when I was a child. I have never been to the sand dunes since I moved to the west coast of Canada. I also missed walking in the sand along Daytona Beach as well.

Congratulations on your 100th post! Your blog is beautiful to look at and fun to read. Just read ALL of the comments and loved your vacation memory request. It was fun to read all the memories. I would love to enter ALL 3 of your giveaways. All are exquisite!Love the header on the blog too.

Happy birthday to your first son, Carol !!Your stitching is so perfect !!!I would love to win the little bunny, of course !!!! It is so cute !!!...My favorite memory of holidays it is when I met my husband during summer 1981! I was 18 years old and we were on the beach. He kept a girl who played with a kite.She ran to make it fly and she walked on a man !!!! We looked, we laughed and I fell in love of this young man with beautiful blue eyes !!!... In June, we shall celebrate our 27 years of marriage... And who would have said to us this day that we would have 5 children ??......Have a good week-end, my dear friend !!Hugs.

Oh Carol... Your Spring ornaments are just beautiful and you have done a marvelous job of finishing each one too! My favorite one is the Just Nan "Spring" ornament with the cute little bunny and pink rosebuds.

My favorite vacation memory is an "after Christmas" trip that we took with our three young sons to visit their older sister, a Naval officer, stationed at Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois.

That year, my husband was out of work, and our daughter had not been able to get leave to come home for Christmas. So, for a surprise, she sent all of us tickets to fly out, the day after Christmas, to spend a week with her.

The best part, is that my husband and I decided to keep the trip a secret surprise for the boys. The only thing we told them, was that they needed to pack their bags for a little trip. Then, early the next morning, while it was still dark, we headed out, with them curiously asking where we going? It wasn't until we drove up to the airport that we finally told them that we were flying to Illinois to see their sister. There were squeals of joy and excitement from the back seat. You see, our daughter has always been like a second "Mother Hen" to the boys, and they knew that we were in for a week of wonderful experiences with her on the naval base. It was a memorable trip, and we were even snowed in by a blizzard so that our flight home was delayed an extra day, an added bonus!

These are all just lovely, Carol. Please enter my name in your very generous give-a-way. My first choice would be Just Nan, Spring; second choice - Prairie Schooler, "S" for Spring; and third would be Drawn Thread, Spring Keeper. But to tell you the truth, I absolutely adore all of them and would be thrilled to be one of the winners here.

I am a new follower, just found your blog from another stitcher's blog -- I'm just blown away by your beautiful work.

Thanks for the opportunity to win. I don't have a blog so I'll leave my email address for you:Bobbie - bobbiejess@comcast.net

Oooh, beautiful finishes, Carol! I'd love to make a home for them all, so can't choose. ;)

My favorite vacation memory is, I guess, of our trip to Colorado in 2000 for my brother's wedding. Being married to a foreigner means that wherever we live, the object of our vacations is always go to and visit the other person's home country & family. When my brother got married in CO, we decided to take the opportunity to spend an extra week there. We toured for a few days with another brother & his GF at the time (now a beloved SIL) and then went off on our own. Trail Ridge Road, Estes Park, Golden--each place holds special memories.

Hi Carol, I just found your blog and have joined as a follower. Thanks for the link to Way Back, I can see that being really handy.My favourite holiday memory is when my husband and I just bought flight tickets and backpacked around Turkey, that was pre-children of course.Please include me in your draw, I'd be delighted to win either the PS ornament or the Drawn Thread one

Would love to win any one of your little cushions. My best memory for vacation is when my DH and I camped for five days...walked in the forest and read a LOT...and shared what we read...and walked some more. It was a peaceful and lovely park in Indiana.

Just followed your link from the Collection of Smalls blog. Lovely pieces! I really like the bunny one. My vacation memory is one I just took. We went to St Martin and found a quiet beach and were eating lunch in an outside restaurant...listening to french music and watching the aqua blue ocean and just relaxing....it's often reflected on during the long MI winters!

I can not pick just one... I love them all!!! Please enter my name in your giveaway.

Most memorable moment... it wasn't vacation but a trip to California. I always dreamed about San Francisco and one day my dream came true... It was a gorgeous sunset, the plain was just coming to landing and from nowhere a beautiful city rose on the horizon... all buildings and a whole landscape bathed in reddish-gold sun. This moment will always put smile on my face to the rest of my life.

I would like to be entered for each one. My most memorable vacation is when my husband and I celebrated our annual anniversaries up in the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. We would spend a whole week just watching the freighters coming through the locks. We stayed right across the park so we could walk over any time we wanted. Maybe this year we will go back. Sure would be nice. Such grand memories there.

Brings back memories of family vacations at Chateau Woodland on Lake Kashagawigamog near Halliburton, Ont. Can. The sound of the loons across the water, campfires &, best of all for me, meals at the main lodge, added up to a great vacation spot. Mom.

Welcome!

Welcome ~ I'm so glad you've dropped in for a visit! I love getting to know fellow cross stitchers from around the world, discovering new stitching blogs, and being inspired by your work. I hope you enjoy your visit today and thanks for taking the time to say "hello!"Carol